Carcinosin

~4 clinical and pathogenetic study

J. H U I B O N H O A , M.D., D.F.HOM.

Gibson Miller liked to say t h a t if he were confined to the use of one single remedy
he would choose Sepia. I am sure t h a t if this great homcaopath were alive t o d a y
he would choose Carcinosinum which is the nosode, or should one rather say the
sarcode, of cancer. Following the work of Dr D. ]K. Foubister and Dr W. Lees
Templeton, of the Faculty of Homceopathy of Great Britain, this remedy has
come into current usage at the same level as Sepia, Sulphur, Lycopodium,
Phosphorus and other constitutional remedies, surpassing them all in the number
of times it is indicated.
The preparation used b y Foubister and Templeton in clinical practice and in
the elaboration of its pathogenesy is the original preparation of Carcinosin. I t s
o r i g i n is unl~nown. I t was brought over from the United States and was probably
prepared from an epithelioma of the breast. A number of different specimens
obtained from the operating theatre of the Royal London Homceopathic Hospital
are now available in potency. These Carcinosins were prepared b y A. Nelson &
Co. Six of them are now in current use. They are:
Carcinoma adeno store, from an epithelioma of the stomach
Carcinoma adeno r e s i n - - f r o m an epithelioma of the bladder
Carcinoma intest, co. from epitheliomata of the intestine and of the bladder
Carcinoma scir. m a m . - - f r o m a scirrhns of the breast
Carcinoma square, p u / p . - - f r o m an epithelioma of the lung
The original Carcinosin of source unl~nown remains the one of choice because it
alone has been the subject of considerable clinical and pathogenetic study.
According to Foubister, the newer Careinosins are extremely powerful and
should be used with caution.
The time has now come to present to French-speaking homceopaths a study o f
Carcinosin (modelled on the familiar style of Dr Duprat). The facts are drawn
from the work of Dr D. M. Foubister who has described the general and mental
characteristics of the remedy and drawn the drug picture in an article in the J u l y
1958 number of The British Homceopathic Journal which was translated into
French b y Dr E. Schepens of Brussels, and from t h a t of Dr W. Lees Templeton
who published a fine pathogenesy of this remedy in the April 1954 number of the
same Journal.

I TABLE OF INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS

A TYPOLOGY
Physique
B y reference to Foubister's list of related remedies and the classification of these
remedies according to the biochemical constitutions of Vannier and Bernard we
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190 THE BRITISH HOM(EOPATHIC JOURNAL

shall see that Carcinosin belongs equally to the carbonic (Sulphur, Lycopodium),
phosphoric (Nat. tour., Ars. alb., Phos.) and sulphurie (of Bernard) (Sub2hur,
Nat. sulph., Psorinum, Nat. tour.) constitutions. None of the remedies described
b y Vannier as fluorique appear on Foubister's list.

Facies
Caf6-au-lait, pale complexion, with numerous moles and blue sclerotics
(Foubister).

Psychology
Templeton's provings show up a sort of cerebral torpor, mental inertia which is
aggravated by a feeling of cephalic constriction. The patient may even be
apathetic and does not reply to questions. He is preoccupied, but annoyed by
this. Brain work is a trial to him. Foubister has drawn attention to the beneficient
action of Carcinosin, resembling that of Medorrhinum, in the treatment of
mongols and sometimes other backward or mentally defective children. Dr J. H.
Clarke wrote that Carcinosin was used in the treatment of psychotic patients
with a tendency to suicide who had a cancerous heredity.
The following mental symptoms drawn from numerous clinical observations
mainly from the work of Foubister are very important. Homeeopathic prescrib-
ing is based on this type of symptom, in addition to those obtained from provings.
Fundamental fear--prolonged fear, and prolonged unhappiness.
Anticipation. This takes the form of worry., sometimes amounting to anguish, as
for example the late arrival of a child, husband, or wife, or the fear of young
people that they may fail examinations. It is a frequent symptom of Carcinosin
which has been of great value in my work. The list of remedies showing anxiety
of anticipation thus becomes: Arg. nit., Ars., Carbo. reg., CARC., Gels., Lyc.,
Med., Plumb., Phos. ac., Sil., Thuja.
Attention t o detail, exaggerated precision, fastidiousness, like ARS., Nux v.,
Anac., Graph.
Obstinacy, like the Tubereulins.
Strong sense of rhythm, love of dancing; a useful confirmatory symptom of both
Sepia and Carcinosin.
Sensitive to music which sometimes makes him weep. Carc., Digitalis, GRAPH.,
Kreos., Kali nit., NAT. C., Nat. sul., Nux v., Thuja. Note that Nux and Carcinosin
are the only two remedies of the materia medica which both have fastidiousness
and sensitivity to music. I t is therefore useful to associate these two symptoms
in our history t~king, in the interests of rapid prescribing.
Lilre Sepia again, Carcinosin likes watching a thunderstorm.
Like Phosphorus, it is very sympathetic to others.
Like Medorrhinum, it is very sensitive to reprimand, a sycotic symptom, as
pointed out by Dr Twentyman; found in the section of generalities, rubric
"sycosis", of Kent's Repertory.
Finally, I have noticed that Carcinosin often has bizarre tics; one of m y
patients constantly tapped his brothers' skulls with his fingertips; another used
to gently bite the tips of children's fingers, one after the other; he had not lost
this habit at the age of 40. Somtimes Carcinosin tears at the skin round the nails.
Dr Templeton points out that blinking of the eyes, another common form of tic,
suggests Carcinosin. I t has all sorts of grimaces.
All these symptoms are peculiar to Carcinosin and thus of great importance
and we are indebted to Foubister for describing them.
 CARCINOSIN 191

B MODALITIES AND CHARACTERISTIC REACTIONS

Aggravation and amelioration

Aggravation or amelioration from heat or cold, or else the patient is sensitive to
both heat and cold.
Very characteristic is the influence of the sea air, whether aggravation or
amelioration, as in Medorrhinum and/Vat, tour. Medorrhinum is characteristically
better for sea air, very occasionally it has a seaside aggravation, whilst Nat. tour.
has roughly 50% amelioration or aggravation. There may be aggravation on the
Atlantic coast, amelioration on the Mediterranean coast, or vice versa. (The
English equivalent, according to Foubister, is amelioration on the East coast and
aggravation on the West coast, or vice versa.)
Worse for undressing {cough, skin), as in Rumex
Worse talking or laughing (cough), as in Phos.
Better after a short sleep
Causalities
A family history of cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, pernicious ansemia, or a
combination of these diseases more strongly represented than in an "average"
family history (Foubister); hereditary syphilis (Cooper); a past history, of
whooping cough or other acute fevers at an early age.
Sensations
Beating, throbbing (Templeton)
Secretions
Acrid and thick
Desires and aversions {food)
Desire or aversion for salt, milk, eggs, fat, fruit.
Sometimes there is a desire in a child for one of these foods at one time,
followed by aversion for the same food at another.
Alternation
Alternation of symptoms from one side of the body to the other as in Lac caninum
and Sepia.
Periodicity
Afternoon, from 1-6 p.m.
Concomitance
Numerous pigmented nmvi, in particular moles. Other remedies associated with
pigmented nmvi are: Calc., Carb. v., Graph., Nitric ae., Petroleum, Phos. acid,
PULS., Silicea, Sulphur, Sulph. ac., Tarentula, Thuja.
Blue sclerotics, blinking of the eyes.

Sleep
Sleep disturbed. Difficulty in falling asleep, restless sleep; awakened by shudders;
exciting dreams; over-active ideas (Coffea); lies awake most of the night;
insomnia in general (Foubister).
Position during sleep
The child may sleep in the genu-pectoral position {position of Mohammedan
5B
192 THE BRITISH HOMEEOPATHIC JOURI~AL

prayer) as with Medorrhinum. Foublster's list of remedies associated with this

position is as follows: Carcinosln, Gale., Phos., Lycopodium, Medorrhinum, Phos.,
Sepia, Tuberculinum.
Dorsal position: with arms raised above the head (Pu/s.)

e GUIDING SYmPTOmS (W. L. Templet~n)

Head
Throbbing headache. Pulsating, deep-seated, right-sided, suborbital headache
(Tub.). Feeling of constriction of the brain.
Eyes
Twitching lids
Ear, nose and throat
Sensation as of a lump. Palatal pain, aggravated by hot drinks, ameliorated by
cold; worse morning and evening (Lach.). (This localization to the palate is
unusual and therefore of great importance, according to Templeton.)
Mouth
Tender gums, dental pain, ulceration
Chest
Cough; stomach cough (Bry.) provoked by tiel~ling the substernal region.
Aggravated by heat, in a warm room, or by cold air (Rumex); by laughing or
talking (Phos., Rumex); from changing clothes (Run, x), from yawning (Nat.
sulph.)
Cardiovascular system
Violent cardiac palpitation heard and felt by the patient (Spigelia). Feeling of
constriction of the heart. Oppression of the chest, with the desire to take a deep
breath (Ignatia).
Digestive system
Feeling of tightness, pain better for pressure or for bending, or for hot drinks
(Mag. phos.). Constipation without desire (O~ium). Stools hard and dry.
Back and limbs
Muscular twitehings in thighs, arms and back. Pain, weakness, fatigue and
swelling of the thighs, better after a short sleep (marked symptoms). Pain in the
legs, better for heat, or for gentle movement (Pu/s.), aggravated by rapid
movement.
Skin
Acnefform eruption of the face. Rash between the shoulder-blades, worse for
undressing (see cough).

II CLINICAL INDICATIONS

Mental retardation
Arthritis
Asthma
Headache
 CARCINOSIN 193

Mental confusion
Constipation
Neuro-vegetative dystonias
Ocular fatigue
Flatulence
Grimacing
Sexual impotence
Insomnia
Hepatic insu~iciency
Masturbation
Migraine
Mongolism
Styes
Cardiac palpitation
Facial palsy
Intestinal parasitosis
Sacral pain
Sciatica
Tics
Cough
Ulceration of mucous membranes
On the subject of whether Carcinosin is indicated in cases of cancer D r
Foubister writes: " I t must be noted t h a t it is not without danger to give
Carcinosin to cancer suspects." " I t has often been used in the treatment of
cancer. I n an article published in the Hom(~xrpathic Recorder, Carcinosin is
claimed to relieve the pain of breast cancer: but there are no records of cases of
cancer treated b y Carcinosin alone, and it is doubtful whether it is of much value
in the disease." Foubister's paper, however, deals with Carcinosin as a constitu-
tional remedy and he says: " I t seems t h a t the further away you are from cancer,
the more valuable it is as a constitutional remedy."

HI ESSENTIAL FEATURES FOR THE

PRESCRIPTION OF CARCINOSIN
Dr Foubister gives the following indications for the prescription of Carcinosin:
1 A family history of a tendency to cancer, diabetes, tuberculosis, pernicious
anaemia, or a combination of these, a personal history of whooping cough or
other severe acute infection at an early age.
2 Marked aggravation or improvement at the seaside.
3 Appetite: desire or aversion for salt, milk, eggs, fat, fruit.
4 Genu-pectoral position during sleep.
5 Associated remedies: the patient is partially covered b y two or more of these
remedies; or else apparently clearly indicated related remedies do not work,
or have a very short action.
6 The appearance of the patient: moles, blue sclerotics or pale caf~-au-lait
complexion.
One or more of the above conditions must be present.

IV RELATED AND COMPLEMENTARY REMEDIES

Tuberculins, Medarrhinum, Sepia, Syphillinum, Nat. tour., Calc. phos., Dys. co.,
Lycopodium, Phosphorua, Psorinum, Ars. alb., Ars. iod., Pulsatilla, Sulphur
194 THE BRITISH HOM(EOPATHIC JOURNAL

Nat. sulph., Opium, Alumina, Staphysagria, Nux vomiea, Dioscoria (Foubister).

Associated bowel nosodes: No growth, Cocci, Yeasts (W. L. Templeton and J.
Paterson).

A uto-isotherapy
Some patients who had responded to Carcinosin but whose improvement only
lasted for a short time have derived benefit from auto-isopathy. I give a single
dose of Pharyngeal Mucus 30 CH.

V POTENCIES
The following potencies are available from A. Nelson & Co., Ltd.:
C. adeno atom. 6 12 30 200 1M
C. adeno vesiea 6 12 30
C. intest, co. 6 12 30
C. scir. roam. 6 12 30 200
C. squam, pulm. 6 12 30 200
Old Carcinosin
(on which this
paper is based) 30 200 1M 10M 50M CM

VI CLINICAL CASES
CASE I (Dr H u i Bon Hoa)
This case was presented to the meeting of the Soci~t6 de Medicine Homeeopathique
d'Aquitaine on l l t h March 1962.
Mme F., aged 78, sent by her doctor in September 1961 on acount of jaundice
which, in view of the patient's age, gave cause to suspect a neoplasm.

History of present condition

The illness began with mild fatigue which became rapidly worse, curtailing all
physical activity, so that the patient, without being senile, found herself con-
signed to enforced rest, moving from chair to chair without being able to under-
take any useful work whatever. Moreover, she developed angina of effort. I t was
then that she asked her doctor to obtain another opinion.

Past history revealed the following:

A severe attack of Spanish 'flu in 1917. She was expected to die, but recovered
after a struggle.
Hypertension, 230/110, for which she was given Sarpagnan which upset her,
followed by Anaprel which she tolerated better.
Her husband died of a growth of the colon. A grandmother also died of cancer.

On examination she was tired; she had an obvious caf6-au-lait complexion, but
no jaundice. Liver and spleen were not enlarged. The stools were of normal
colonr, the urine normal and clear. Auscultation revealed extra systoles. Chest
sounds normal. Reflexes normal. No lymphadenopathy.

Laboratory investigations
These showed a slight rise in the serum albumin and a right branch bundle block.
Also dlvertienlous colon. Otherwise, normal.
 CARCINOSIN 195

Individual Characteristics
Typical Carcinosin appearance; caf~-au-lait complexion; enormous pigmented
n~evus of the forehead; multiple n~evi; blue sclerotics. Feels the heat.
Meticulous and fastidious.
Anticipatory anxiety.
Conclusion
An asthenic patient, whose typical Carcinosin skin had given rise to an impression
of icterus. Precancerous condition. A typical Carcinosin from both the
morphological and psychological points of view.
Treatment: Carcinosin 200 one dose.
Results: Marked improvement from the 7th day of treatment. The asthenia and
precordial pain disappeared and the patient resumed her normal activity. There
was no aggravation.
On 23rd February 1962 this patient was still well. Her appearance was un-
changed. B.P. 190/100. No medicine.

CASE II
Mine B., aged 42, governess, had suffered for eight days from pain in the right
buttock, of moderate severity, which prevented her from sleeping.
Modalities
Worse for stumbling
Worse for sitting in one position for long
Worse lying down
Better standing
On examination
Lasegue's sign
A fibrous band, two centimetres long, and as thick as a pencil, was present on the
right border of the sacrum, and gave rise to pain which radiated to the anal fold.
Blue sclerotics
A few moles
Carcinosin 200 CH, 1 dose.
The pain had distinctly improved the day after the administration of the
remedy, and had completely disappeared by the following day. At the same time,
the patient experienced a general sense of well-being, great euphoria, and
increased vitality. There was no aggravation.
Other symptoms were as follows:
Sensitive to heat
Desire for sweets
Desire for strongly seasoned food
Sensitive to music
Sensitive to noise
Sensitive to reprimand
Cutaneous hyper~esthesia
Anticipatory anxiety
Past History
Childish ailments
Serious croup at 5
196 THE BRITISH HOM(EOPATHIC JOURNAL

Chronic leucorrhcea as a small girl

Her father and two of his brothers died of cancer
No tuberculosis in the family

CASE III
Mme B., aged 38, no profession, suffered from asthma. The attacks came every
evening at bedtime, never during the day. They were not very severe, but
wheezing forced her to get up. They responded to theophyline suppositories. Her
asthma was ameliorated by liver extracts, aggravated after such food as fried
food, port and shellfish.
Past Hi~tory
Infantile asthma till puberty (at 12 years) and again from age 30 until the
present.
Whooping cough. Possibly initiated the disease.
Heredity. Maternal grandmother died of cancer.
Collateral relatives. A first cousin and a nephew asthmatic.
On Examination
Respiration completely normal (attacks only occur at night), but considerable
abdominal meteorism. Liver not enlarged or tender. The lower limbs were very
thin by comparison with the average corpulence of her body. Multiple large moles.
No other findings. Cholesterol 1.30 g.
She had had extensive homceopathic treatment in another town. One frequently
meets with a case such as this, where Pertussin, Carbo. reg., Nux vomica and
Streptococcin and other remedies have been prescribed with good results.
The following mental and genera] symptoms were also present:
Worse for heat
Better in open air
Worse for wind
Worse at new moon
Not affected by storms or the seaside
Hunger easily satisfied
Desire for sugar
Desire for hot drinks
Dislikes fat
Irregular, restless sleep
Nervous and distrait, easily gets angry when contradicted
Afraid of having cancer like her mother
Tidy, but not excessively so
Not particularly sensitive to music
Many large moles
All these symptoms were very definite
Lycopodium 30 CH which was apparently indicated, gave no result, so for the
following reasons:
1 The apparently well indicated related remedy did not work,
2 Family history of cancer,
3 Presence of large moles,
4 Lycopodium does not cover fear ofiilness and is complementary to Carcinosin,
a single dose of Careinosin 200 was given and the patient recovered in 9 days
 CARCINOSIN 197

(including flatulence and leucorrhcea which she had not mentioned) without
aggravation.

CASE IV
Mine J., aged 52, no profession, suffered from insomnia. She had slept badly
since the age of 15 and this was getting worse. She could spend a whole night
without shutting her eyes (Dr Templeton's pathogenesy). Weeps while giving
the history. (Kali. c., Med., PULS., SEP.)
Past History
Hysterectomy for fibroids three years ago. Post-operative phlebitis with two
.emboli. Pentothal anaesthesia.
Grandfather died of cancer
One uncle had tuberculosis
One aunt had tuberculosis
One cousin had tuberculosis
Physical examination
Nothing was noteworthy, except perhaps for a chronic reddening of the
conjunctivae.
The general and mental symptoms were as follows:
Worse from heat, or in a warm room
Better in the open air
Must have fresh air
Aversion from fat
Aggravation from mill~
Good character
Excessively timid
Weeps easily
Weeps whilst giving her history to the doctor
Very sensitive and emotional
Would like consolation, but says there is no one to console her
Declares that ordinary drugs poison her
One enormous mole on her back (Puls. very frequently has this sign also)
All very definite symptoms
Pulsatilla 7 CH, 9 CH, 30 CH, was given on three successive days, without effect.
So for the following reasons:
1 The apparently indicated remedy had no effect,
2 Family history of cancer and tuberculosis,
3 Presence of a large mole on the back,
4 PulsatiUa is complementary to Carcinosin,
a single dose of Carcinosin 200 was given which cured the patient without
aggravation.

CASE V
Mine M., aged 26, no profession, consulted m e for chronic discoloration of the
skin. The anamnesis revealed that she sufferedfrom nn'graine,constipation and
insomnia.
Past History
Typhoid at 289 years; purulent peritonitis at 8 years; diphtheria; measles;
chicken pox.
198 THE BRITISH HOM(EOPATHIC JOURNAL

Family History
Her father died of ur~emia; her grandmother died of carcinoma of the rectum.
There was no tuberculosis in the family.
The general and mental symptoms were as follows:
Very chilly
Stifled in ~ hot room
Worse before and during a storm
Desire for eggs
Desires spiced food
Sleeps on her stomach
Highly strung; starts at a sudden noise
Better for physical exercise
Many moles

Physical Examination
The conjunctivm and skin were discoloured yellow. The liver was of normal size
and not tender to palpation. T h e spleen was not felt. There was no abdominal
meteorism or other abnormality on clinical examination.

Carcinosin 200 CH 1 dose was given.

The patient was very upset immediately after Carcinosin was administered,
and I took advantage of this reaction to give an acupuncture treatment as
follows:
T.R.10., T.R.3., M.C.6., V.60., E.45., V.13.
Equilibrium was at once restored.
From the second day after treatment had started, the icterus began to fade
and disappeared completely together with the insomnia, constipation and_
migraine.
The interesting thing about this case was the canalization of the reaction by
acupuncture. I n connection with this, Dr Foubister has often observed a febrile
reaction on the tenth day after administration of Carcinosin--a reaction which
he points out can best be understood if it is agreed with Macdonagh and Rudoff
Steiner that there are two fundamental disease processes: inflammation and
tumour formation. This febrile reaction or a past history of severe early infectious
disease can be considered as a reaction against hereditary cancerous tendencies.

APPENDIX
SCIRRHINUM
Burnett was one of the first homceopaths to use Carcinosin to any extent and he
was followed by Clarke. Apart from Carcinosin, one of his favourite remedies was
Scirrhinum, or Durum, prepared from a scirrhus carcinoma. Its key-note was
"a violent feeling of hollowness" at the umbilicus. Burnett claimed to have cured
numerous cases of tumour of the breast with this remedy. He also cured a gross
indurated cervical adenopathy, cases of h~emorrhage, and varices of the lower
limbs. One patient expelled a considerable number of threadworms after the
administration of Scirrhinum. I n obstinate cases of this kind, where Cina or
Teucrium had no effect, Clarke, whose notes provide this information, obtained
good results with Scirrhinum 200. Its time of aggravation is from 5-6 p.m., and
irregularly throughout the night.
 CARCI~OSIN 199
CARCINOMA
K e n t comments in Lesser W r i t i ~ s p. 411 :
"Carci~ relieves pain t h a t is sharp, burning or tearing. With this remedy
(a nosode) patients remained comfortable for m a n y years, even though cure was
impossible and the cancer continued to develop. The growth of the tumour was
delayed, and the suffering, which usually goes with this condition, was avoided.
"The preparation of Carcinoma which I have used for some years was taken
from a cancer of the breast. The patient had a permanent, clear, colorless watery
discharge. A small quantity of this liquid was potentized and has been used with
good effect in m a n y cases of advanced epithelioma."

MICROCOCCINUM AN]) OSCILLOCOCCIN

Two French remedies similar to Carcinosin.
Micrococcinum was prepared from Micrococcus neoformans, which was found
in a malignant tumour b y Doyen in 1901, and which he held to be the cause of
cancer. Micrococcinum has been used b y I ~ o n Vannier since 1919 as a "specific
desensitizer of the eancerinic state".
Oscillococcin was prepared from the oscilloeoceus described b y a homceopathic
physician, Dr Roy, in 1925. I t also was soon used b y I ~ o n Vannier. Vannier
himseff described the results of his experiment: " I n the cancerinic state,
Micrococcinum and Oscillococcin are far from giving the s a m e results as the
potentized tubereulins give in the tubercul~n~que state. Nevertheless, in certain
eancerinie states a change can take place under their influence. I n particular loss
of weight can be arrested almost immediately, but this continuity of action
cannot be compared with t h a t of the Tuberculins" (Les Canceriniques). On the
other hand, Vannier was much more impressed by auto-isotherapy with blood.
Oscillococcin is better known for its action against influenza. There are no
key-notes: it seems to work as a pathological remedy for influenza (Chavanon).

Translated from the French by Dr M. Harling.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bernard, H., Traitd de mddevine homdopathique.
Boerieke, E., Pocket manual of homo~opathic materia medica, 9th edition.
Clarke, J., A dictionary of practical materia medica, 3rd edition, 3 col.
Foubister, D. M., Brit. Horn. Journal, "The Carcinosin Drug Picture,', 47, 201, July 1958.
Kent, J. T., New remedies, Clinical cases, Lesser writings.
Kent, J. T., Aphorisms and Precepts, 1st Indian edition.
Templeton, W. L., The British Homo~opathic Journal, April 1954.
Vannier, L., La Typologie ct ses applications thdrapeutiques, 1re partie : Gendralities et Consti-
tutions.
Vannier, L., Les Cancdriniques ct leur traitement homeopathique.